【Egg Custard Croissants】

When I visited Krakow, Poland in February, I had a croissant for breakfast. The croissant had delicious sweet filling. This inspired me to make this egg custard croissants recipe. Both my son and my husband love it.

Directions:
1: Measure all ingredients of Ingredient 3) into a bowl and mix well (Picture 1, right), Measure all ingredients of Ingredient 1) into a measuring cup or a container, combine and let stand for 10 minutes (Picture 1, left). Add 1 tbsp oil into the yeast mixture, mix well then pour into the flour bowl. Knead a few times to make a soft dough (Picture 2) but don’t over knead.

2: Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume (Picture 3). Chill the dough in a fridge for 20 minutes. Take out the dough and shape into a log on a floured surface. Press down and roll out into a 6×16 inch rectangle.

3: Thinly slice the butter and set aside under room temperature for 30 minutes. Lay them over two-thirds of the dough surface, leaving an unbuttered border about ¼ inch. Fold the unbuttered third towards to centre (Picture 4), then fold the other third to make a 3-layered dough. Turn 90 degrees (Picture 5) and roll out into an 11×22 inch rectangle (Picture 6). Fold into thirds as before (Picture 7). Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.

4: Place all ingredients of Ingredient 5) in a microwave safe bowl, and mix well with a fork until there are no clumps left (Picture 8). Microwave on high for 30 second, take out and stir. Repeat heating and stirring until the mixture becomes solid and cooked (Picture 9). Cool the egg custard then transfer it into a plastic bag. Gently knead a few times (Picture 10). Divide into 18 equal portions (Picture 11), cover with a plastic wrap and set aside.

5: Take out the chilled dough and place on the floured surface. Roll out again into an 11×22 inch rectangle and fold into thirds as before. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.

6: Repeat the Step 5 two more times. Then roll out the dough into a 0.5-cm thick square (Picture 12). Cut into 9 equal squares and then cut diagonally into 18 triangles (Picture 13). Place one portion egg custard on the bottom of the triangle. Gently roll towards the pointed end, stretching it slightly as you roll (Picture 14). Bend the two legs inwards to form a crescent shape (Picture 15). Shape the remaining croissants in the same manner. Arranging them on two parchment paper lined baking sheets. Chill immediately for 30 minutes. Never allow them a final rising, or they will not have the proper flakiness.

7: Preheat oven at 400F/205C. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350F/175C and bake for another 10-13 minutes until golden.

Tips:
Store leftover croissants in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat at 350F for 5 minutes before serving.